The public should only call 999 “where absolutely necessary” as emergency services are tackling fires across the West Midlands, a police chief has said.

West Midlands Police incident commander Chief Inspector Tom Clayton told a press conference on Thursday evening: “What I would ask the public is, where possible, if they can only ring 999 to speak to the police where absolutely necessary, and where possible, if they can use our other non-emergency means of contacting the police, our non-emergency 101 number, and our Single Online Home Service to contact us if that’s possible.

“And apart from that, just I’d like to thank the public again for their response, but also to keep up the common sense approach, not to come down to the scene, not to try and go back to homes, unless the all clear has been given, so we can keep everybody safe and resolve this as soon as we can.”

Millions of us were treated to a stunning spectacle on Wednesday during mainland Europe’s first total solar eclipse for more than 25 years.

And for some in the UK, it was a race against time to find a pair of eye-protecting eclipse glasses as shortages grew.

If you did manage to grab some, you might be asking – what do I do with them now?

“Eclipse glasses are a great example of our single-use culture,” says Dr Renee Tonkin, the founder of Science Owl, an environmental education organisation focused on waste.

“Particularly because they’re difficult to recycle due to their mixed materials.”

According to Recycle Now, which advises on appropriate places to recycle items, the glasses are not wholly recyclable in your household waste.

It says you can recycle the cardboard frames so long as you separate them from the lenses, which are harder to recycle.

So here are three things you can do with those retina-saving spectacles.

A child and three firefighters have been taken to hospital as fires tore through homes in the West Midlands, where a local councillor described the scene as “apocalyptic”.

On the hottest day of the year, with temperatures soaring to 38.1C in Kew Gardens, more than 100 firefighters were tackling huge fires in the Stourbridge and Stratford-upon-Avon areas.

At Stourbridge golf course, an “extensive grass fire” spread across roads in places with people urged to stay indoors.

West Midlands Fire Service said that multiple houses caught fire and people were evacuated from their homes. The organisation said a child and three firefighters were taken to hospital.

Councillor Andrew Tromans, who represents Wollaston and Stourbridge Town on Dudley Borough Council, described the scene of the fire in Stourbridge as “apocalyptic”.

Meanwhile, in Stratford-upon-Avon a major incident was declared at the scene of a wildfire. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service were called at 2.30pm to reports of a large plume of smoke on Tothall Lane, Salford Priors.

The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning for much of England, covering parts of the south and east, as well as swathes of the Midlands.

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Burnham thanks emergency services over ‘awful’ fires

Andy Burnham said he was in touch with local leaders in the West Midlands as firefighters continue to bring several wildfires in the region under control.

He said in a statement: “Awful to see homes and communities hit by fires across the country tonight as the heatwave continues.

“My thoughts are with everyone affected, particularly those who have been injured or forced from their homes, and with the firefighters who have been taken to hospital.

“I’m in touch with local leaders (including West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker) and will be speaking to emergency services on the ground as they continue their response.

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“Our firefighters are working in incredibly difficult conditions and putting themselves at risk to keep others safe. A huge thank you to them and everyone supporting the effort tonight.

“Please stay safe and follow their advice.”

Alex Ross13 August 2026 23:45

Public told to only call 999 ‘where absolutely necessary’

The public should only call 999 “where absolutely necessary” as emergency services are tackling fires across the West Midlands, a police chief has said.

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West Midlands Police incident commander Chief Inspector Tom Clayton told a press conference on Thursday evening: “From a police perspective, we are going to do our best, I’d like to reassure the community of Stourbridge and the wider West Midlands.

“We’re going to do our absolute best to service their business-as-usual policing needs.

“However, as you can understand, we are experiencing very, very high demand assisting our colleagues in this multi-agency response”.

Alex Ross13 August 2026 23:09

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Burnham kept informed on wildfires in West Midlands

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said he had spoken to Andy Burnham, who had pledged the fire and rescue services in the region would get any additional support they requested.

Mr Parker told Sky News: “Our plan is to visit the area tomorrow to speak to some people on the ground there.

“I don’t want to get in the way of the important work going on this evening, but I want them to know they have my full support, and I’ll be working with the local authorities and others across the region to see what we can do to support them at this really difficult time.

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“I would also like to convey a message to them from the prime minister, who I spoke to earlier this evening, but has asked me if the fire service on the ground needs additional support, and I’ll be speaking to the chief officer a bit later, to ask him what we can do.

Alex Ross13 August 2026 22:27

Fire service in West Midlands takes ‘thousands of 999 calls’

West Midlands Fire Service has dealt with “thousands of 999 calls” as more than 100 firefighters battled blazes across the region, chief fire officer Simon Tuhill has said.

He told a press conference on Thursday evening: “This is a large and complex incident that has occurred on one of the hottest days of the year.

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“Our fire control team have been dealing with thousands of 999 calls, whilst coordinating attendance at other operational incidents across the West Midlands.

“The tinder-dry conditions that the country and the West Midlands are facing at the moment has meant that the fire has spread rapidly, despite the hundred-plus firefighters’ best efforts who are on scene and in attendance.

“Rest assured, they are doing everything they can to bring this incident to a safe conclusion.”

Alex Ross13 August 2026 22:11

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‘It’s shocking’ – Resident in Stourbridge reacts to fire

In Stourbridge a man, who declined to be named, said: “At about two o’clock I was working from home.

“I saw smoke come down and it was already at the corner of Racecourse Lane and Norton Road. It’s shocking.”

Several homes nearby had been damaged, including two which could still be seen smouldering near the brow of a nearby hill.

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Alex Ross13 August 2026 21:39

What we know so far about the fires across the West Midlands

Stourbridge

West Midlands Fire Service said six houses were affected by the large blaze in Stourbridge, which is estimated to cover 40 acres of land, including a wood.

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Wollaston and Stourbridge town councillor Andrew Southall said care home residents have been evacuated alongside others as a result of the fire near Stourbridge golf course.

About 60 firefighters attended the scene after being alerted to the blaze at about 1.30pm.

Stratford-upon-Avon

In nearby Warwickshire, the county’s fire and rescue service said it is responding to a “large fire” in Salford Priors, Stratford-Upon-Avon, which has been declared a major incident.

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Police, fire crews and ambulances are at the scene of the wildfire.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was called at 2.30pm on Thursday to reports of smoke on Tothall Lane in Salford Priors.

Stoke-on-Trent

In Stoke-on-Trent, north of Birmingham, fire has hit “a small number of properties and gardens”.

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Crews from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue are on the scene of the blaze in the Goldenhill area.

Pershore

Residents have been evacuated after homes were damaged as a blaze hit Pershore, where around 200 properties are without power and a person has suffered smoke inhalation.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said emergency services were called out at around 4.30pm on Thursday to deal with “a large” fire on Lancelott Court, off Three Springs Road.

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Alex Ross13 August 2026 21:30

Scene of fire in Stourbridge ‘apocalyptic’ – local councillor says

Councillor Andrew Tromans, who represents Wollaston and Stourbridge Town on Dudley Borough Council, described the scene of the fire in Stourbridge as “apocalyptic”.

In a statement on Facebook, he said: “The apocalyptic scenes in Norton and across Stourbridge are sadly just a taste of what is to come if we don’t act.”

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He added: “It is my view, and it has been for a while, that Dudley councillors must have an emergency meeting about we protect our borough from the impacts of climate change.”

Alex Ross13 August 2026 21:20

200 homes without power in Pershore, Worcestershire

Residents have been evacuated after homes were damaged by fire in Pershore, Worcestershire, where around 200 properties are without power and a person has suffered smoke inhalation.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said emergency services were called out at around 4.30pm on Thursday to deal with “a large” fire on Lancelott Court, off Three Springs Road.

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A spokesman said: “One person has been treated for smoke inhalation. Thankfully no other injuries have been reported at this time.

“A number of homes have been damaged and 30 properties in the area have been evacuated.”

Residents in the wider area have been told to keep windows and doors closed as a precaution and surrounding roads have been temporarily shut.

The spokesman said “approximately 200 properties are currently without power”, adding: “We recognise this will be an upsetting time for the local community and would like to thank you for your patience and cooperation while we respond to the incident.”

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Alex Ross13 August 2026 21:02

Residents use watering cans and buckets of water to dampen down smouldering fields

Several homes in Stourbridge were severely damaged by fire, with a smouldering section of adjoining fields being damped down on Thursday night by worried homeowners carrying water in buckets and watering cans.

Fire crews could also be seen hosing down hedgerows and bushes near damaged homes close to the junction with Fairways Avenue.

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One local resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “The fire came within feet of the other side of the road.

“It has been terrible for those who have had their property destroyed but it was terrifying for everyone.

“It was all the way across the fields in no time at all. It was hard to believe it was happening.”

Alex Ross13 August 2026 21:00

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Comment: The next pandemic won’t come from a lab. It’ll come from the weather

The only way to manage the deadly – and immediate – results of flooding and heatwaves is to treat the climate emergency as we would an outbreak, not like a chronic illness, writes policy adviser Aliza Ayaz.

Nicole Wootton-Cane13 August 2026 21:00

Robbie Williams has revealed he’s been diagnosed with ‘a little bit of autism,’ and admitted he still struggles with ‘intrusive thoughts’.

The singer, 52, had previously shared he has ADHD, but revealed he also has the neurodevelopmental spectrum condition.

Speaking during a Q&A at the Autumn/Winter launch of his clothing brand Hopeium’s at Flannels, Robbie said he uses the diagnosis as a ‘get out of jail free card’.

The singer said he’s learned to ‘train his brain to be creative’ in a bid to block out things that could make him ‘panic or be scared’.

He said: ‘I have ADHD and I just found out I have a bit of autism as well, which I actually f*****g love because it explains so much.

‘It is my get-out-of-jail-free card now, and all the weird s**t that I do I just say ”sorry I’m autistic.”

The singer, 52, had previously shared he has ADHD, but revealed he also has the neurodevelopmental spectrum condition (pictured on stage last week)

‘With the ADHD you can completely and utterly concentrate on something 1000 per cent, but with absolutely everything else, you just cannot do it. Ask my kids.’

‘What I’m completely and utterly obsessed with is creating images and making funny things, if I’m creating images and funny things, I’m not thinking about me, because my brain is incredibly creative, and it can be creative about everything in the world that you panic or scared about.

‘For example, this is how crazy I am, recently, I was sitting on a plane, and I thought ”what if I can have telekinesis and my intrusive thoughts tell the plane to crash itself”.

‘So that’s the kind of level of insanity that I’m dealing with, it’s best to train my brain to do something better than worrying about having supernatural powers and crashing a plane.’

Autism was once defined as a serious developmental disorder characterised by intellectual disability and the struggle to learn or understand language.

But in recent years, experts have loosened the definition. Symptoms include repetitive words or behaviors, struggling to vary routine and difficulties in social situations. 

Robbie has previously shared he’s been diagnosed with ADHD three times, and in October he admitted he has been secretly living with Tourette’s syndrome.

Diagnosed with ADHD and having battled several addictions since rising to fame in the early 90s, the Angels singer has endured multiple spells in rehab, notably for alcohol and drugs.

Speaking during a Q&A at the Autumn/Winter launch of his clothing brand Hopeium’s at Flannels, Robbie said he uses the diagnosis as a ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’

Speaking on Paul Whitehouse and Dr Mine Conkbayir’s podcast I’m ADHD! No You’re Not, Robbie admitted he’s still terrified of touring despite playing in front of sold-out stadiums and arenas for decades as a solo singer, and before that, as part of boyband Take That.

On his latest health condition, Robbie said: ‘I’ve just realised that I have Tourettes, but they don’t come out.

‘They are intrusive thoughts that happen, I was just walking down the road the other day, and I realised that these intrusive thoughts are inside Tourettes. It just doesn’t come out.

‘Not only that, you would think that a stadium full of people professing their love to you would work as (a distraction), but whatever it is inside me cannot hear it. I cannot take it in.’

Tourette syndrome is an inherited, neurological condition which can be characterised by involuntary sounds and movements called tics.

The record 18-time BRIT winner says he’s been diagnosed with ADHD three times, the reason behind his numerous diagnoses being he ‘forgot’ each time he was told he had the condition.

He explained: ‘So the first one was around 2006, where I saw these things, ADHD, on the Internet. I’m like, “all of those things are me.” Wow.

‘And then I started to hear that you could get some medicine that behaved a bit like speed, right? Adderall.

‘So, I go see the guy and I’m like, “I already know I’m all of these things. I already know that.” So, I’ll go and say this, then you give me the thing. And he gave me the thing.

‘There was a relief that I’d got it officially diagnosed, but then also there was more a relief that I was getting 200 of these tablets and then I thought the tablets might fix me because you’re always looking for the cure.

‘You’re always looking for the cure for the ailment of the disease inside your head. So I quickly went from taking the pills to crushing them and snorting them.’ 

ADHD is a serious, complex neurobiological condition characterised by inattentiveness – such as having a short attention span, being easily distracted, appearing forgetful or losing things – and impulsivity, for instance, being unable to sit still and concentrate. 

Oil slicks moving along Iran’s southern coast have reached the Hara mangrove forests of Qeshm Island. Iranian authorities say the extent of the contamination is still being assessed and the source of the oil pollution has not yet been established. But several oil spills have been detected in the region since the war between the US and Iran began.

The Hara forests lie in the Khuran Strait, which separates Qeshm Island from mainland Iran. This waterway is close to the Strait of Hormuz – one of the most strategically important marine corridors on Earth. The Strait of Hormuz is normally discussed through the vocabulary of geopolitics: barrels of oil, shipping lanes, energy prices and global trade.

But beneath that geopolitical map lies another map that receives far less attention. The Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters are home to mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, fisheries and coastal communities. They also provide the seawater upon which some of the world’s most water-stressed societies depend.

The Strait of Hormuz is not only an energy chokepoint. It is an ecological chokepoint. And prolonged conflict exposes both at the same time.

An oil slick on open water is a serious pollution event. But oil entering a mangrove ecosystem creates a different problem. Mangroves occupy the boundary between land and sea, with dense root systems that slow water movement and trap sediments.

The same characteristics that make these ecosystems extraordinarily productive also make them effective traps for pollutants.

While oil can be removed from the water surface, oil that penetrates shorelines and fine sediments can be much more difficult to address. Contamination can affect roots and seedlings and expose organisms living in or feeding on these sediments to pollution. Fish and birds can be affected through ecological pathways extending beyond the visibly contaminated trees.

Qeshm should also not be viewed in isolation. Earlier in the war, another oil slick near Kharg Island in the northern Persian Gulf was tracked. Satellite imagery indicated that currents were carrying contamination through the Khuran Strait towards the mangroves.

Researchers using satellite observations have also reported a marked increase in the frequency and extent of oil pollution in the Gulf since the beginning of the war. This is where the environmental significance of prolonged conflict becomes much larger than any individual spill.

What needs to happen now

The first priority in Qeshm must be containment. Preventing additional oil from entering the mangroves is far more effective than attempting to remove it once it has penetrated a complex inter-tidal environment.

However, containment alone is insufficient. Authorities need to establish the source and chemical characteristics of the contamination, map its spatial extent, combine field observations with satellite monitoring and sample water and sediments.

They will also need to establish baseline conditions in affected and unaffected areas and monitor mangrove condition, aquatic organisms and other ecological indicators over time.

Such efforts may themselves be constrained by the war. Conflict can make scientists, environmental agencies and emergency-response teams less able to reach the places where intervention is most urgently needed.

The response must also avoid causing additional damage. Following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska, high-pressure hot-water washing removed stranded oil but also caused substantial additional damage to shoreline organisms and habitats.

In mangroves, where roots and sediments are particularly sensitive to physical disturbance, similarly aggressive interventions can do more harm than good. Most importantly, monitoring of the Hara mangrove forests cannot stop when the coastline looks clean.

There is a temptation during war to treat environmental damage as secondary: something to assess after questions of military strategy, diplomacy, energy supply and economic loss have been addressed. That hierarchy is difficult to defend.

Environmental systems are infrastructure. Mangroves protect coastlines and sustain marine ecosystems. Fisheries support livelihoods and food security. Soils support agriculture. Aquifers store water and coastal waters feed desalination plants.

Healthy ecosystems provide forms of resilience that become more – not less – important during periods of political and economic instability. Destroying or degrading them thus creates liabilities that can persist long after military operations have ended.

And unlike a bridge, pipeline or building, an ecosystem cannot necessarily be reconstructed. A mature mangrove forest is the product of biological processes that unfold over time. Lost ecological functions may take years to recover, and some changes may prove difficult to reverse.

This is why what is happening at Qeshm deserves attention well beyond Iran. The question is not whether this particular oil contamination represents an ecological catastrophe. We do not yet have the evidence to make that judgment. The more important question is what the event is telling us.

It is telling us that in a region where enormous volumes of hydrocarbons, dense maritime traffic, critical water infrastructure and fragile coastal ecosystems occupy the same narrow geography, environmental risk cannot be separated from geopolitical risk.

If the Iran conflict continues, the probability of further accidents, infrastructure damage, pollution and interrupted environmental management will increase. Some consequences, such as burning vessels, blackened coastlines or dead vegetation, will be immediately visible.

But others will accumulate quietly – in sediments, soils, groundwater, food webs and stressed ecosystems. It is these consequences that may ultimately prove harder to repair. While all wars eventually end, their environmental consequences do not necessarily follow the same timetable.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council has urged people not to use the steps down to Flamborough beach.

The council said the metal steps were closed in June for safety reasons after an inspection found they were in a “seriously damaged condition with clear and invisible structural issues caused by heavy footfall and corrosion by the elements”.

Damage to the steps down to Selwicks Bay beach in Flamborough (Image: East Riding of Yorkshire Council)

A spokesperson said a fixed barrier and closure signs were installed to prevent people from using the steps, but people are “clambering over the barrier to walk the steps to get to the beach”.

They said Selwicks Bay beach has been temporarily closed as the steps are the only way to reach the area.

The closure of the beach was also introduced over concerns paddle boarders travelling to Selwicks Bay beach from nearby North Beach may find themselves stranded, or have to turn back, as they no longer have a way up the cliff. 

Read next:

Council engineers and contractors are currently working on a solution, but the local authority said the steps are “likely to be closed for some time”. 

“The damage caused to the structure may mean the steps may need to be rebuilt,” the council spokesperson said.

Cllr Nick Coultish, the council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure, tourism and planning, said it “won’t be a quick repair”.

“We don’t want to restrict access to this beach, but these steps are in a dangerous condition, so we had no choice but to close them,” he said.

“Please don’t ignore the barrier and closure signs, because there is a real risk that someone could get seriously hurt if the steps give way.”

“We look forward to reopening these steps when they are made safe, but until then please don’t use them,” he added.

The much-loved TV personality announced her decision to step down via social media, addressing her followers with an official statement.

In a post on Instagram, the 68-year-old thanks those who have followed and supported her journey while looking forward to the next chapter in her long and successful career.

She said: “Hi! I’ve just come on to say something because it’s going to be in the papers.

“I’m leaving Loose Women after the best part of 25 years – off and on.

“I did leave for about seven years and went back in 2018, and this show has been part of mine and my family’s life for, well, nearly a quarter of a century.

“I have the most wonderful, wonderful memories and it’s just that acting has always been my first love and, I think, the thing I’m best at.

“And at the moment, I’m having the most wonderful opportunities coming my way and I’m grabbing them by the you know what’s and running with it for this new chapter of my life.

“And so, I just wanted to say that in person, to thank all of the people who have shared my stories with me.

“I’ve shared my life with you – the good, the bad and the ugly.

“I’m very marmite, but I cherish all the comments, good or bad, that I’ve had over the years.

“And I just hope that you wish me well for this new, exciting chapter in my life.

“I’ll miss everybody, but I’ll remain friends with the whole gang.

“Because despite what you might read, we are a happy band of campers.

“Anyway, lots of love, thanks for sticking with me.”

Denise, who played Natalie Barnes in Coronation Street, first joined the daytime talk show more than 20 years ago, appearing as a guest panellist in 2002 before becoming a full-time team member from 2005.

After a five-year hiatus, she returned in 2018 and has remained a constant fixture ever since.

Nothing lasts forever, though, and Denise says the time has now come for her to pursue other opportunities.

Speaking after news broke of Welch’s departure, a spokesperson for Loose Women confirmed: “Denise has been such a brilliant part of the Loose Women family and we are going to miss her hugely on the show.

“We are sending her all of our love and best wishes for her next chapter.”

The next time you hear Labour tell you that the Government’s measures to tackle illegal immigration are ‘working’, think of Piddington.

This tiny Oxfordshire village is mulling the extraordinary step of seceding from the United Kingdom, because the Government is about to dump 1,250 adult male asylum seekers in a nearby Ministry of Defence site.

If the idea of a leafy English village with a population of 400 becoming an independent country sounds absurd, it’s only slightly less absurd than the Labour Government seeking to force that same village to accept four times its population in illegal immigrants without any say in the matter.

But Piddington is only the start.

This week, our new Prime Minister announced that Britain’s small towns and villages should start preparing for Labour to drop thousands of unwelcome visitors on their doorsteps. Andy Burnham claims that it can’t just be the ‘poorest communities’ that are forced to house thousands of illegal immigrants, adding: ‘All parts of the country need to play their part.’

He won’t like me pointing this out, but Burnham is essentially copying a Reform UK policy, his only difference being the target. In May, Nigel Farage proposed putting migrant-detention centres in Green- voting areas while sparing places that elected Reform MPs.

Burnham has chosen to put illegal migrants in quiet middle-class villages that don’t vote Labour. Same rotten principle.

But then again, we shouldn’t be surprised. Burnham has arrived in Westminster with a more upbeat and chummy demeanour but he’s still leading the same old Labour Party.

Andy Burnham wants to punish the towns and villages that didn’t vote Labour, just as Nigel Farage wants to punish those who won’t vote Reform, writes Kemi Badenoch

The party that introduced VAT on school fees, meaning many children now won’t be going to the schools they love this September – keeps the spiteful class warrior Bridget Phillipson in the Cabinet.

The same Labour Party that said it wouldn’t raise taxes on ‘working people’ – then hiked employers’ national insurance, putting businesses under enormous strain with many having to close or move abroad, taking their jobs with them. The Labour Party has never understood how hard it is to run a business. In fact, most of the Cabinet have never worked outside of the public or charity sectors.

The message from Burnham’s Labour is clear: the people of Piddington, or Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire, or various other quaint villages near RAF bases, aren’t Labour people, so they are just going to have to lump it.

I know what it’s like for an unsuspecting community to suddenly have hundreds of illegal immigrants arrive unannounced. As an Essex MP, I was particularly annoyed by Labour reopening the Bell Hotel as an asylum hotel in Epping, which the Conservatives had closed. That annoyance turned to fury after one of the migrants sexually assaulted a local girl.

I spoke to people in Epping. I met some of the parents terrified for their children’s safety. No one should be forced to see their local area become a no-go zone overnight, where it’s not safe for young women and children. Yet this is what Burnham is telling large parts of the country they now have to stomach.

The last Conservative government has to share some of the blame for the number of illegals in Britain. We tried everything we could to stop the boats, but nothing got past the courts. We had some success in deterring migrants with the Rwanda scheme, but in an act of extreme stupidity, Labour cancelled it on the first day after the general election.

Only one thing will solve this problem – dealing with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). That is why I have changed Conservative Party policy, and we are now going to leave the ECHR so that everyone who arrives in Britain illegally is quickly deported. Labour’s policy is dispersal, ours is removal.

Unlike other political parties, who talk the talk but don’t do the hard work required to make sure that

their plans can actually be implemented, we have prepared a 200-page report explaining how we would leave the ECHR definitively.

This is my priority, while other party leaders waste time with pointless by-elections or, in Burnham’s case, trying to make Netflix cheaper.

Only the Conservatives believe that communities should not have to bear the consequences of the illegal-migrant crisis.

While Andy Burnham wants to punish the towns and villages that didn’t vote Labour and Farage wants to punish those who won’t vote Reform, I want to unite the country – and offer everyone a brighter future under the Conservatives.

Authorities in Ceuta will round up migrants and hold them in warehouses before sending them back to Morocco.

It is estimated that more than 70,000 people flooded into the Spanish enclave last month, taking advantage of lax security and swimming around a border fence that separates Ceuta and Morocco. 

Up to 100 people died during the mass influx which occurred over 48 hours, with Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas declaring a ‘humanitarian emergency’ as the enclave became overwhelmed with new arrivals. 

And authorities said at least five migrant girls under the age of 14 have allegedly been raped since arriving in Ceuta. 

Though most of the migrants who entered Ceuta have now left, up to 8,000 remain. 

The Telegraph reported that Spain‘s government will be using a warehouse in Tarajal, yards from the Moroccan border, and another in the enclave to temporarily house them. 

Officials are hoping to return the migrants within 72 hours of finding them, during which time they will be sent to the warehouses to be formally identified and processed. 

But there are serious questions yet to be answered about migrants who apply for international protection, whose applications have to be examined under EU and Spanish law. 

Though Spain’s foreign minister vowed to send ‘every last person’ back to Morocco on Tuesday, these plans do not override migrants’ rights to have an asylum claim processed. 

The 1,342 unaccompanied children who went into Ceuta last month also pose a problem. While children who went into the Spanish territory with an accompanying adult are expected to be sent back to Morocco with little to no problem, the cases of lone children have to be examined on their own merits.

Before minors can be deported, their age, family, identity and safety back home must be established, weighing up the best interests of the child. 

It comes after the revelation that several young migrant girls have allegedly been raped since arriving in Ceuta. 

The victims sought treatment at the University Hospital of Ceuta (HUCE) this past week, health services told the El Pueblo de Ceuta newspaper. 

Judicial sources said many of the alleged rapes were prevented by the direct intervention of residents of Ceuta.

Some residents of the autonomous city were also among the accused, however.

The Ceuta Prosecutor’s Office previously said it was aware of two of the cases of alleged sexual assault and had opened preliminary proceedings.

It confirmed that no arrests had yet been made. 

The legal procedures required for these allegations to result in convictions include medical reports, victim testimony, security camera footage, witness statements and police reports. 

Judicial sources said they had been made aware of ‘many cases’ of attempted sexual assault, and that the figures will be higher as the days go by. 

Authorities have confirmed that two educational centres in the city will be repurposed as shelters for unaccompanied minors.

Migrants queue to receive food staples from local NGO Media Luna Blanca in an industrial area where they are sleeping amid recent mass crossings by migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into the Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, August 6, 2026

It is estimated that more than 70,000 people flooded into the Spanish enclave last month

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Though most of the migrants who entered Ceuta have now left, up to 8,000 remain

The first one to be opened is the CEIP Reina Sofía, in the Príncipe Alfonso neighbourhood, which was housing more than 110 girls and teenagers and operating as an exclusively female shelter.

Neighbourhood associations are using the La Reina football field, in the Sidi Embarek neighbourhood, as a night shelter so that women can sleep safely.

The CEIP Príncipe Felipe will act as another shelter for minors, although this educational centre will also be used to house young men.

The city is working on preparing two other spaces, one in the port area and another in Loma Margarita, where all children will be transferred from educational centres to ensure that the school year in September can begin as planned.

Spain’s Youth and Children Minister Sira Rego said Friday that 1,342 unaccompanied migrant minors had been registered in Ceuta following the mass influx from Morocco.

Aid groups have warned that the minors, many of whom are sleeping rough on the streets of Ceuta, are at risk of abuse and exploitation.

Neither the Tories nor Labour are impressed with Mr Farage’s antics.

You’ll remember that he triggered this by-election in June while he was being investigated by the Parliamentary standards commissioner.

This contest, he proclaimed, would prove that he’s been victim of an establishment stitch-up and that he still has the backing of the people.

If only Thomas Tuchel had been allowed to put the World Cup semi final to a vote rather than let the result play out.

But anyway, as polls closed Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said: “Nigel Farage spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his Party.“Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster, and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day.

“It’s time to stop the excuses and desperate distractions and finally come clean with the public. If Farage has nothing to hide, he surely would have done so by now.”

And a Tory spokesman said: “Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that.”